Trannies in Space

It went on for a while. Lulu caught his eye and Dekker motioned with his chin out at the crowd of hopeful buyers. More and more hands were being thrown up in frustration or shrugging in resignation. The price was getting high.

"No no no, mine," A woman was saying in front of him. Dekker peered closer to look.

"Fuck off, Slaya," A man's rough voice interrupted from across the clustered circle. "You can't bid that high because the bitch gets you wet. I need her! She could be an overseer!"

"Don't assume you know why I'm bidding. Pay more or shut your mouth, Harlan."

The verbal altercation went on and on. A Kirresahan tried to raise his voice to cut them off, but neither paid him any mind.

"I need someone to keep my others in line! You just need new pussy!"

"You couldn't get any pussy unless you were paying for it!"

The man stomped across the circle, got Saya's face. A few groans and shouts of encouragement came from the crowd. A few edged away from the pair.

Pash was looking at the unfolding scene with detached amusement. Arela was also studying it, but in a distracted way. Until her eyes met Yarona's.

Dekker read the word 'bitch' on his wife's lips, but whether she said it or only mouthed it he never knew. Pash noticed it too, and cast a searching glance out over the crowd.

"Shit." He said softly.

"What?" Yarona asked, until she saw for herself.

Pash was yelling at them, jabbing a finger out into the crowd as he groped behind his back. The pirate holding Arela's chain, Bekki, was also going for her weapon.

"DEKKER!" Arela screamed in a voice that pierced through the noise like a stone breaking. She gathered her chain up in her hands, looped it around Bekki's neck, and pulled.

"Goddamnit!" Yarona roared. She was unhooking her carbine from her back as the first shot lit out over the crowd.

Sweat erupted on his face as he Dekker threw Lulu bodily to the ground. Whether it was from stress or the heat from the weapons fire he didn't know. Screams rang in his ears, and it took him a handful of seconds before he realized one was his own.